Timely gov’t decisions, effective communication channels crucial for earning public trust — observers

AMMAN — False promises, poor performance and non-existing communication channels have resulted in a trust crisis between Jordanians and governments, according to experts. 

His Majesty King Abdullah, in a letter on Sunday to the Jordanian people on the occasion of his 60th birthday, highlighted that “there is no place among us for officials who shy away from making decisions or effecting positive change”.

“We must all work to bridge the trust gap between people and governments,” the King said in the letter.

Mohammad Al Momani, former information minister, said that the letter represents a vision for the future. 

The letter is “a true implementation” of much needed cross-governmental policies and strategies with clear goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), he told The Jordan Times.

“The letter is clearly trying to bring a national value system,” Momani added. 

Momani stated that governments need to break the “frustration cycle”, noting that only through transparency and openness people’s trust will be restored.

Former minister Samih Maytaah said: “The accumulative poor performance of consecutive past governments is the major cause for the trust issue Jordanians have towards governments.”

Maaytah said that he personally believes that through public opinion, open media channels and direct communication between governments and Jordanians, the trust issue can be resolved.  

Maaytah added that governments have to work hard in order to regain Jordanians’ trust. “Only through honesty and tangible achievements Jordanians will believe in their governments,” he told The Jordan Times. 

“Introducing opinionated leadership who are well known for their strong political background and also have the ability to convince the public with the governments point of view and get direct feedback from citizens is what’s needed from the government,” Maaytah added. 

Mohammad Al Tal, writer and political analyst, said: “Inefficient and false promises by former governments have led to this trust crisis we are witnessing". 

Governments should make timely decisions to move the country forward and stop finding excuses for poor performance, he said.

“Governments have been unable to pick up the true needs for people’s wellbeing,” said Tal. 

He stated that people’s wellbeing depends on the government's action plan, therefore, they have to present a clear and specific roadmap for the country with a focus on the economy. 

“Economic boost is the first step to be taken if the government is serious about making a change,” Tal said, adding that this can be done through attracting investments to the Kingdom, thereby enhancing Jordanians’ quality of life. 

Jordanians have been suffering from financial and economic crisis for so long, therefore, they are generally found to be pessimistic towards the governments and uncertain about the future, he said. 

Jordanians' economic desires and hopes have to be fulfilled; this is the first step if the governments want to earn people’s trust, he added. 

Jamal Shalabi, a political science professor, said that it is high time that the government introduced a clear roadmap with clear and measurable goals that the public can refer to, stressing that “Jordanians can't wait any longer”.

As consecutive governments failed to earn public trust, current and upcoming governments should prioritise solutions to poverty and unemployment as human capital is Jordan’s most prominent resource”, he told The Jordan Times.

Shalabi added that governments must also bring “trustworthy decision makers to the political table, because Jordanians are fed up with false hopes”.

Shalabi stated that governments have to invest in the wellbeing of Jordanians through providing excellent healthcare facilities, enhanced infrastructure and educational institutions. 

He emphasised the importance of a clear dialogue between governments and the public to understand people’s problems. 

Governments should also focus on attracting both national and international investments to Jordan, which is key to overcoming economic challenges, he added.